Doorsill

ABSTRACT

A doorsill having a substrate, a dam, and a sill deck is described. The dam is removably attached to the substrate to extend upwardly therefrom. The sill deck is removably attached to the substrate and removably attached to the dam. The dam has a vertical wall, and a lower portion of the vertical wall engages the substrate.

PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 14/881,625filed on Oct. 13, 2015, the contents of which are incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD OF DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to building entryways, and moreparticularly to the doorsills or the thresholds of the entryways.

BACKGROUND

Doorsills play an important role in creating a barrier between theexterior and the interior of a building. Many doorsills are designed toform an air and watertight seal with the bottom of active and/orinactive door panels. Many doorsills are designed with water managementin particular in mind, designed to move water away from the door tominimize or eliminate water penetrating over, under, or around thedoorsill and into the building. Unwanted water can lead to interiordamage to the floor or subfloor within the building.

Designers of doorsills seek to effectively manage sealing and watermanagement. In many cases, water management features within doorsillsuse ramps or angled surfaces that rely on gravity to function correctly.In most instances, seals between a door and a doorsill function mosteffectively when everything is properly aligned. Imperfections in thesubfloor, in a sill pan, in other framing portions of the entryway, orwith the hanging of door panels limit the ability to easily achieve thedesired alignment.

There is a need, therefore, for a doorsill that assists with approachingand maintaining desired alignment for maximizing the functionality of adoorsill to manage water and maintain the desired seals between anexterior and an interior of a building.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure describes doorsills and entryways having thesame. The present disclosure provides methods of installing and usingthe doorsills. The doorsills described by this disclosure have severalfeatures that may be advantageous individually as well as collectively.The features described herein may be found alone or in a variety ofcombinations within a single doorsill or entryway. Applicants should beunderstood to possess the features of each embodiment and the productsand processes that result from the combining aspects of one or moreembodiment.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a doorsill for forming thebottom of an entryway. The doorsill has a substrate to be disposed abovea subfloor and a lifter provided on the substrate capable of extendingfrom a bottom of the substrate. The lifter is adjustable to change theorientation or position of the bottom relative to the subfloor.

Embodiments of the present disclosure also include a doorsill comprisinga substrate having a top side and a bottom side, the substratecomprising a plurality of threaded bores passing from the top side tothe bottom side. The doorsill also includes a plurality of adjustmentscrews threaded into the threaded bores. Rotating the adjustment screwsfrom the top side of the substrate causes a head of the adjustment screwto extend or retract relative to the bottom side of the substrate. Thedoorsill also includes a sill deck removably positioned over the topside of the substrate that covers the adjustment screws.

Also described herein is a method of adjusting a doorsill comprisingpositioning the doorsill upon a subfloor or a sill pan and adjusting oneor more of a plurality of jacks provided on a substrate of the doorsillto extend or retract from a bottom of the doorsill.

Further embodiments include a doorsill comprising a substrate, at leastone indicator attached to the substrate, and a sill deck attachable tothe substrate to hide the at least one indicator. The indicator suggestswhen the substrate has been oriented and installed in a level position.

Other embodiments include a doorsill comprising a substrate having atleast one channel extending along a length direction of the substrate, amull spacer selectively positioned along the length of the substrate byat least one leg extending from the bottom of the mull spacer into thechannel, and a sill deck disposed over the substrate. The sill deck mayhave a notch positioned to at least partially surround the mull spacer.

Yet other embodiments include a doorsill comprising a substrate, a damremovably attached to the substrate, and a sill deck detachable from thedam. The dam may have a lower portion thereof that engages the substrateand a first horizontal wall extending inwardly from the dam at aposition offset from the bottom of the dam.

In still other embodiments, the disclosure describes a doorsillcomprising a dam attached to a sill deck with a detachable connectionsuch that the sill deck can be removed and replaced. The detachableconnection may include a male portion provided on one of the dam and thesill deck, a female portion provided on the other of the dam and thesill deck, and a V-shaped sealing member within the female portion andconfigured to at least partially surround the end of the male portion.

A doorsill is also provided that may include a substrate having a topside, and a sill deck disposed on the substrate. The sill deck may havea tread wall and at least one support. The support separates the treadwall from the top side of the substrate. At least one stop projectsupwardly from the top side of the substrate adjacent to the at least onesupport to minimize unwanted sliding of the sill deck relative to thesubstrate.

An entryway is also included that has a doorsill and a pair of sidejambs, the side jambs having stop portions that extend over the ends ofthe doorsill. The doorsill may include a substrate having a top side,and a sill deck removably disposed on the substrate. The sill deck mayhave a tread wall and at least one support. The support spaces the treadwall from the top side of the substrate. The top side of the substratemay have at least one relief region providing an area of increasedmargin between the top side of the substrate and a bottom of the stopportion to assist with removal of the sill deck from the entryway.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art after a reading of the following description ofthe preferred embodiments, when considered in conjunction with thedrawings. It should be understood that both the foregoing generaldescription and the following detailed description are explanatory onlyand are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a representative entryway suitable for the doorsills describedherein.

FIG. 2 is a left top isometric view of a doorsill according toembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a bottom isometric view of the doorsill from FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an exploded side view of the doorsill from FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a jack found in the doorsill of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a top isometric view of a substrate according to embodimentsdescribed herein.

FIG. 7 is a detailed side view of the sealing region between a dam and asill deck.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the doorsill of FIG. 2.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a doorsill according to another embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a side view of a doorsill according to FIG. 9 with the silldeck partially removed.

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional side view of a doorsill supporting amullion according to embodiments of the present disclosure taken alongline 11-11 in FIG. 1.

The foregoing and still other objects and advantages of the presentinvention will be more apparent from the following detailed explanationof embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanyingdrawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described below andillustrated in the accompanying figures, in which like numerals refer tolike parts throughout the several views. The embodiments describedprovide examples and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope ofthe invention. Other embodiments, and modifications and improvements ofthe described embodiments, will occur to those skilled in the art andall such other embodiments, modifications and improvements are withinthe scope of the present invention. Features from one embodiment oraspect may be combined with features from any other embodiment or aspectin any appropriate combination. For example, any individual orcollective features of method aspects or embodiments may be applied toapparatus, product or component aspects or embodiments and vice versa.

FIG. 1 illustrates an entryway 100 having a doorsill 102, a pair of sidejambs 104, and a mullion 106 extending upwardly from the doorsill 102. Aheader 108 spans across the top of the side jambs and the mullion. Anactive door 110, a passive door 112, and a side light 114 are all seenin FIG. 1. The entryway 100 forms a partition between an interior and anexterior of a building. The doorsill 102 is disposed above a subfloor116 or other support surface. A sill pan (not shown) may be locatedbetween the subfloor 116 and the doorsill 102 to help prevent waterpenetration below the doorsill.

FIG. 2 is a left top isometric view of a doorsill 102 according toembodiments of the present disclosure. As used herein, the terms“doorsill” and “threshold” may be used interchangeably. The doorsill 102may generally include a substrate 118 and a sill deck 120. The substrate118 can be understood as being placed above the subfloor 116 (FIG. 1) orother support surface. For example, a sill pan may be placed between thesubstrate 118 of the doorsill 102 and the subfloor 116. The sill deck120 may be disposed above the substrate 118 to provide a tread surface.The doorsill 102 is shown with an optional threshold cap 122. Suitablethreshold caps are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,991,100 and 8,567,128assigned to Endura Products, Inc, Colfax, N.C. Several features of thedoorsill 102 will now be described in more detail.

Lifting/Leveling Features

FIGS. 3-6 show embodiments that facilitate the adjustment of theposition or orientation of the doorsill 102 within the entryway 100.Proper positioning of the doorsill 102 may improve sealing between thedoorsill 102 and the door panels as well as improving water management.

FIG. 3 is a left bottom isometric view of the doorsill 102. As usedherein, the X direction corresponds with the length of the doorsill 102and extends along a left-right direction. Orientation about theX-direction or an axis parallel thereto may be referred to as tilt. TheY direction corresponds to the width of the doorsill 102 and extends inthe direction through the entryway 100. Orientation about theY-direction or an axis parallel thereto may be referred to as pitch. TheZ direction corresponds with the height direction of the entryway 100along which elements may be raised or lowered.

In some embodiments, the substrate 118 is provided with a lifter 124.The lifter 124 has portions designed to extend and retract in a downwarddirection relative to a bottom surface 126 of the substrate 118.Extending at least a portion of the lifter 124 from the bottom surface126 may impact the orientation of the substrate 118 relative to thesubfloor 116 (FIG. 1), a sill pan, a door panel found above the doorsill102, or gravity. Extending at least a portion of the lifter 124 from thebottom surface 126 may also impact the position and orientation of thepair of side jambs 104, the header 108 and the mullion 106, if present,relative to the subfloor 116. The pair of side jambs 104 and the mullion106 may rest on the doorsill 102, thus adjustment of the doorsill willimpact the position of the side jambs and the mullion 106. The lifter124 may be able to make one or more of the following adjustments of thedoorsill 102: raise and lower the doorsill 102 along a height direction(Z); adjust the tilt of the doorsill 102 about the X-direction; andadjust the pitch of the doorsill 102 about the Y-direction.

In one embodiment, the substrate 118, and therefore the doorsill 102seeks to be installed in a level, horizontal manner. The bottom surface126 may define a reference plane P having a major axis of the substrate118 running in the X-direction and a minor axis of the substrate 118running in the Y-direction. As used herein, the terms “horizontal” and“level” are used interchangeably to describe an orientation relative tothe earth as defined by gravity as is understood in the building andconstruction industry, where the substrate 118 is fully level whengravity is acting in a direction that is normal to the reference planeP. In other words, true level occurs when gravity is acting bothperpendicular to the major axis (x-direction) and perpendicular to theminor axis (y-direction). When the reference plane P is normal togravity, any surfaces of the doorsill 102 that are angled relative tothe reference plane P may be oriented with the desired slope for watermanagement. While controlling both tilt and pitch is preferred toachieve a true or fully level position, applicants envision otherembodiments with lifters that allow for correction of the doorsillorientation with respect to only one of the tilt about the x-directionor pitch about the y-direction.

The lifter 124 shown in FIG. 3 shows a plurality of jacks 128, 129. Afirst jack 128 nearest the left edge of the doorsill 102 in FIG. 3 isshown extended relative to the bottom surface 126. In the illustratedembodiment, a pair of second jacks 129 are shown retracted, e.g. flush,with the bottom surface 126. The lifter 124 is preferably provided withsufficient adjustability to place the doorsill 102 in a fully levelposition as defined above.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3, the lifter 124 includes aplurality of jacks 128, 129. The jacks 128, 129 are spaced apart along alength of the substrate 118. Adjusting, i.e. extending or retracting,the jacks 128, 129 relative to the bottom surface 126, and each other,may shift the orientation of the doorsill 102 with respect to an axisparallel to the Y-direction.

FIG. 4 shows an exploded end view of the doorsill 102. From this view,each jack 128, 129 is shown as possibly including a pad 130 and at leastone adjustment screw 132 connecting the pad 130 to the substrate 118.Each screw 132 may fit in a threaded bore 134 (FIG. 6) passing from atop side to a bottom side of the substrate 118. Rotating the screw 132within the threaded bore 134 may extend or retract a head 136 of thescrew relative to the bottom surface 126 of the substrate 118, which inturn may move at least a portion of the pad 130 relative to the bottomsurface 126. In one embodiment, the head 136 of the screw 132 may besufficiently broad to provide a support surface such that the pad 130may be omitted. Phrased another way, the screw may be integrated withthe pad such that the head 136 and the pad 130 are one in the same.

As seen in FIG. 4, the jack 128, 129 of the present embodiment may havea pair of screws 132 attached near opposite ends of a single elongatedpad 130. In the illustrated configuration, each jack 128, 129 mayprovide for the adjustment of the doorsill 102 with respect to the pitch(i.e. rotation about an axis extending along the X-direction) byrotating one of the screws 132 attached to the pad 130 more than theother of the screws 132 attached to the same pad. In other words, asupport surface 138 defined by the pad 130 will be angled relative tothe bottom surface 126 of the substrate 118. In other embodiments, eachpad 130 may be associated with a single adjustment screw 132. In yetother embodiments, larger pads may be operably attached to more than twoadjustment screws.

FIG. 5 shows a front view of a jack 128, 129 in a fully retractedposition according to one embodiment. The pad 130 has a support surface138 on the bottom thereof and an attachment channel 140 formed on thetop thereof. The head 136 of the screw 132 may be sized and shaped toslide into the attachment channel 140. An optional plug 142 may beincluded to form the threaded bore 134 therewith. In the fully retractedposition, the plug 142 may abut the pad 130.

The plug 142 may be a durable metal element configured to be insertedinto apertures through the substrate 118. In other embodiments, theplugs 142 may be omitted and the threaded bores 134 may be provideddirectly within the material forming the substrate 118. The plugs 142may be fixed to the substrate with barbs 144, adhesive, or othersuitable approaches known in the art.

FIG. 6 is an isometric left top view of the substrate 118. The threadedbores 134 are shown. Each bore may accommodate an adjustment screw 132.Prior to installing the sill deck and the threshold cap upon thesubstrate 118, an adjustment screw 132 may be accessed for adjusting oneor more of the jacks of the lifter so that the substrate 118 is providedwith the desired orientation upon the subfloor, sill pan, or otherunderlying element. In some embodiments, as will be discussed furtherbelow, the sill deck and the threshold cap may be removably attached tothe substrate 118 so that the lifter may be operated via the adjustmentscrews 132 after the doorsill has been installed in an entryway byremoving the sill deck from the substrate 118.

Returning to FIG. 3, the bottom surface 126 of the substrate 118 may beprovided with recesses 146 configured to fully receive each pad 130 in afully retracted position. The fully retracted position may occur whenthe support surface of the pad 130 is flush with the bottom surface 126and coplanar with the reference plane P as is shown with second jacks129. The substrate 118 may be shipped with each of the jacks 128, 129 intheir fully retracted position. In one embodiment, each jack 128, 129may be able to extend the support surface 138 up to 1/4 inches from thebottom surface 126 when the jack 128, 129 is in the fully extendedposition.

Returning to FIG. 6, the substrate 118 may be provided with otherfeatures that may be provided and used independently or in combinationwith the lifter 124. The substrate 118 may be formed with integralanchor points 148 for positioning fasteners that attach the substrate118 to the subfloor 116 (FIG. 1). The fasteners, such as screws, may berequired by local building codes for securing the doorsill 102 (FIG. 1)to the subfloor. The anchor points 148 may take the form of indicia,cavities, recesses, or other guides that may mark fastener placement andallow for placement of at least a portion of each fastener within thesubstrate 118.

FIG. 6 shows another optional feature incorporated with the substrate118; namely, the addition of at least one indicator 150 attached to thesubstrate 118 to indicate an orientation of the door doorsill relativeto gravity. The indicator 150 may be in the form of a bullseye typebubble level as known in the art for indicating the level orientation ofa horizontal plane. The indictor 150 may be other types as well,particularly indicators that are able to provide indication with respectto more than one axis, though single axis indicators are alsoconsidered. In the illustrated embodiment, the indicator 150 may beattached to the substrate 118 in a manner, and at a location, thatensures the indicator is itself level with the reference plane P, whichis parallel to the bottom surface 126. In many cases, placing a level onthe top side of a conventional threshold substrate may not provide alevel reading because the top side of many threshold substrates areintended to be sloped in an interior-to-exterior direction(Y-direction). On the other hand, the substrate 118 illustrated includespre-formed pockets 152 of sufficient size for a bullseye level. A floorof each pocket 152 is parallel with the bottom surface 126 (FIG. 4). Oneor more resilient fins 154 may be integrated with the substrate 118 toremovably hold an indicator 150 to the substrate 118. Similar to thesloping top side of many substrates, tread surfaces of many sill decksare also sloped. Therefore the indicators 150 are configured for useprior to installation of the sill deck 120 (FIG. 4) upon the substrate118. As discussed above, the sill deck 120 may be removable. As such,the indicators 150 may be hidden from view when the sill deck is addedand exposed for use when the sill deck is removed in the same manner asthe screws of the lifter 124 discussed above.

Operation and use of the lifter 124 may be described in terms of one ormore methods of installing a doorsill 102 in a desired orientation. Themethod may include actions such as positioning the doorsill 102 upon asubfloor 116 or upon a sill pan, followed by adjusting one or more of aplurality of jacks 128, 129 provided on a substrate 118 of the doorsill102 until the substrate reaches the desired orientation. The desiredorientation may require at least one of adjusting the height of thedoorsill 102 relative to the subfloor 116, adjusting the pitch relativeto the subfloor and adjusting the tilt relative to the subfloor orgravity. Adjusting a jack 128, 129 may include rotating an adjustmentscrew 132 to extend or retract a respective pad 130 relative to a bottomsurface 126 of the substrate 118. A sill deck 120 may be installed uponthe substrate 118 after the substrate reaches the desired position.

In some embodiments, a doorsill 102 having a lifter 124 may beadjustable after installation if provided with a removable sill deck 120(FIG. 4). In such an embodiment, a method of adjusting the position andorientation of the doorsill 102 may include removing an existing silldeck, adjusting one or more of the plurality of jacks 128, 129, andattaching one of the existing sill deck or a replacement sill deck tothe substrate 118. Where the substrate 118 is provided with one or moreindicators 150, or at least locations for receiving indicators (e.g.pockets 152), the method may also include determining whether thesubstrate 118 has reached a position free from at least one of pitch andtilt using an indicator 150 attached to the substrate and exposed toview when the existing sill deck is removed.

As mentioned above, several of the features of the doorsill 102 may benovel and advantageous separate and apart from use with a lifter 124.Some of such features may be highlighted in terms of the followingparagraphs:

Paragraph A: A doorsill comprising:

a substrate;

at least one indicator attached to the substrate, the indicatorproviding an indication of when the substrate is free from at least oneof pitch and tilt; and

a sill deck attachable to the substrate to cover the at least oneindicator when the substrate has been installed in a level position.

Paragraph B. The doorsill of Paragraph A, wherein the at least oneindicator is a bubble level.

Paragraph C. The doorsill of Paragraph B, wherein the bubble level is abullseye type providing an indication of when the substrate is free fromboth pitch and tilt.

Paragraph D. The doorsill of Paragraph A, wherein the at least oneindicator is removably attached to the substrate.

Paragraph E. The doorsill of Paragraph D, wherein the substrate hasresilient fins grouped together to removably retain a respectiveindicator.

Removable Sill Deck Features

As mentioned above, a substrate 118 with a lifter 124, and the use ofindicators 150 may be improved when the doorsill 102 has a sill deck 120that is capable of being installed onto and/or removed from thesubstrate 118 after the substrate has been installed within the entryway100. Several optional features of the doorsill 102 have been designedwith the removable sill deck in mind. Each of the features discussedbelow may support, individually or in combination, separate novelconcepts.

Dam

Returning to FIG. 4, the exploded view of the doorsill 102 includes adam 160 configured, in this embodiment, to be press fit to the substrate118. As commonly found in existing thresholds, dams create an uprightexterior wall of an upwardly open channel 162 into which the thresholdcap 122 may be installed. As the name suggests, the dam provides anupright barrier at the end of the sill deck 120 for limiting waterintrusion. Dams found within the prior art are traditionally formedintegrally with the sill deck. On the other hand, the dam 160 of theinstant embodiment is specifically constructed to be detachable from thesill deck 120 to facilitate the ability for the sill deck to beinstalled onto and/or removed from the substrate 118 after the substratehas been installed within the entryway 100 (FIG. 1).

FIG. 7 shows a detailed view of the dam 160, which may include avertical wall 164 with a lower portion 166 thereof that is snap fit orotherwise removably attached to the substrate 118. A first horizontalwall 168 may extend inwardly (i.e. relative to the Y-direction or theinterior-to-exterior direction) from the dam 160 at a position offsetfrom the bottom of the dam 160. The first horizontal wall 168 may beconfigured to reside at or near the bottom of the upwardly open channel162 to provide support to the vertical wall 164. A second horizontalwall 170 may extend outwardly (i.e. relative to the Y orinterior-to-exterior direction) from the vertical wall 164. The secondhorizontal wall 170 may extend from a position along the vertical wall164 that is higher than the first horizontal wall 168. The secondhorizontal wall 170 may be configured to engage a portion of the silldeck 120.

A doorsill with a dam 160 as described by this section may be embodiedby the following paragraphs:

Paragraph F. A doorsill, comprising:

a substrate;

a dam removably attached to the substrate; and

a sill deck detachable from the dam,

wherein the dam has a lower portion thereof that engages the substrate.

Paragraph G. The doorsill of Paragraph F, further comprising:

a second horizontal wall, the second horizontal wall extending outwardlyfrom the vertical wall.

Paragraph H. The doorsill of Paragraph F, wherein the second horizontalwall extends from a position along the vertical wall that is higher thanthe first horizontal wall.

Paragraph I. The doorsill of Paragraph F, wherein the dam is press fitto the substrate, the sill deck is snap fit to the dam.

Seal

The detailed view of FIG. 7 shows the engagement between the dam 160,particularly the second horizontal wall 170, and the sill deck 120. Thesill deck 120 may include a groove 172 for accepting the secondhorizontal wall 170. One skilled in the art would recognize that thearrangement of the second horizontal wall 170 and the groove 172 may bereversed, such that the dam 160 may have a female portion of the jointand the sill deck 120 may provide the male portion of the joint.

To assist with providing a watertight seal between the dam 160 and thesill deck 120, a seal 174 may be disposed between the second horizontalwall 170 and the groove 172. The seal 174 may be described as beingV-shaped, for being snap-fit into a female portion of the joint (i.e.groove 172) and the seal 174 may be shaped to at least partiallysurround the end of the male portion of the joint (i.e. secondhorizontal wall 170).

The seal 174 can include an apex portion 176 formed from a relativelyrigid metal or polymer material. The seal 174 can also include a pair oftip portions 178 formed from a relatively resilient rubber or polymermaterial at the tips of the V-shaped seal 174 on either side of the apexportion 176. The apex portion 176 may include outwardly projectingretention ridges 180 proximate to the interface between the apex portion176 and the respective tip portions 178. The projecting retention ridges180 may engage recesses 182 within the groove 172 to help maintain theseal 174 within the groove 172. To form a tight fit with the seal 174,having potentially diverging tip portions 178, the second horizontalwall 170 may be provided with a tapered profile, having a thickerportion near the vertical wall 164 of the dam 160 and becoming thinnerin an outward direction.

A doorsill with a seal 174 as described by this section may be embodiedby the following paragraphs:

Paragraph J. A doorsill, comprising:

a dam attached to a sill deck with a detachable connection such that thesill deck can be removed and replaced,

wherein the detachable connection comprises:

-   -   a male portion provided on one of the dam and the sill deck;    -   a female portion provided on the other of the dam and the sill        deck; and    -   a seal within the female portion and configured to at least        partially surround the end of the male portion.

Paragraph K. The doorsill of Paragraph J, wherein the v-shaped sealcomprises an apex portion having relatively rigid material portion atthe apex of the V-shape and a pair of tip portions having relativelyresilient material at the tips of the V-shape.

Paragraph L. The doorsill of Paragraph K, wherein the apex portioncomprises outwardly projecting retention ridges proximate to aninterface between the apex portion and the respective tip portions.

Paragraph M. The doorsill of Paragraph L, wherein the female portioncomprises a pair of retaining recesses to accept the retention ridges ofthe sealing member.

Paragraph N. The doorsill of Paragraph J, wherein the detachableconnection is a snap-fit connection and the seal is snap-fit within thefemale portion.

The seal provided between the dam 160 and the sill deck 120, is notlimited to the specific construction of the seal 174. The seal accordingto other embodiments may include resilient fins that could beco-extruded with the dam 160 or the sill deck 120. The seal may be a rodshaped element made from resilient material, such as rubber or foam,inserted into the groove 172 to at least partially contact the end ofthe second horizontal wall 170. In yet other embodiments, the seal maybe provided by an elastomer, injected as a liquid or semi-solid betweenthe groove 172 and the second horizontal wall 170, that is designed tosolidify in place.

Sill Deck Retention

FIG. 8 shows a side view of a doorsill 102 with a side jamb 104 shown inthe rear. The side jamb 104 includes an abutment section 190 projectingfrom the side jamb 104 and extending over an edge of the sill deck 120.In the illustrated embodiment, the sill deck 120 has been designed to beremovable from the doorsill 102 by pulling, in the direction shown byarrow F, the sill deck 120 toward the exterior side of the entryway torelease the press fit seal between the dam 160 and the sill deck 120 asdescribed above, and to substantially allow the sill deck 120 to slidebetween the substrate 118 and the abutment section 190 of the side jamb104. In some embodiments the sill deck 120 may be provided with a clip192 at or near the exterior end thereof for engaging a catch 194 formedin the substrate 118. Beginning the process of removing the sill deck120 may include elastically or permanently deforming the clip 192 todisengage the catch 194 prior to pulling out the sill deck 120.

To position the sill deck 120 upon the substrate 118, a tread wall 196of the sill deck 120 may be formed with a plurality of support legs 198.The support legs 198 may extend substantially the entire length (alongthe X-direction) of the sill deck 120. The support legs 198 may beL-shaped as shown in FIG. 8 to have a sturdy base for contacting thesubstrate 118 and supporting the sill deck 120.

The ability to remove the sill deck 120 from the installed substrate 118is advantageous for the use of many of the features discussed above.However, the sill deck 120 should not separate from the substrate 118simply due to the forces applied by someone's foot stepping on the silldeck 120 and walking through the entryway 100. The retention of the silldeck 120 with the substrate 118 is provided in part by the fit at theseal 174 and the mating of the clip 192 with the catch 194. In addition,the substrate 118 may include a plurality of stops 200 projecting upwardfrom a top side of the substrate 118. The stops 200 may be positioned onthe substrate 118 in a location immediately exterior to the location ofone or more of the support legs 198 to provide a contact surface tolimit unintentional movement of the sill deck 120 toward the exterior ofthe entryway 100. The height H of a stop 200 may be measured as thevertical distance from the top side of the substrate 118 immediatelyinterior of the stop 200 to the top of the stop. A representative heightH is shown in FIG. 8.

Returning to FIG. 6, the stops 200 in the illustrated embodiment areshown as fin-like structures, provided in groups of three, with groupsof stops 200 spaced apart along the length of the substrate 118.Further, the height H of each stop 200 may vary. In one embodiment,applicants have found that the height of stops 120 near the center ofthe substrate 118 may be greater than the height of the stops 118 nearthe ends of the substrate. Having tall stops 200 near the center impartsthe most resistant to movement where the forces of a person's foot areexpected to occur. Further, to facilitate removal of the sill deck 120,the center of the sill deck 120 can be bowed upwardly to a larger degreeto slide over the stops 200, than the edges of the sill deck 120 due tothe presence of the abutment portion of the side jamb. Therefore, if theheight of the stops 200 near the ends of the substrate 118 are too tall,the sill deck may not have sufficient room to slide between the top sideof the substrate and the bottom of the abutment portion.

A doorsill with a removable sill deck 120 and a substrate 118 havingstops 200 as described by this section may be embodied by the followingparagraphs:

Paragraph O. A doorsill, comprising:

a substrate having a top side; and

a sill deck disposed on the substrate, the sill deck having a tread walland at least one support, the support separating the tread wall from thetop side of the substrate,

wherein at least one stop projects upwardly from the top side of thesubstrate adjacent to the at least one support.

Paragraph P. The doorsill of Paragraph O, wherein the at least one stopcomprises a plurality of stops spaced apart along a length of thesubstrate.

Paragraph Q. The doorsill of Paragraph P, wherein the plurality of stopsvary in height along the length of the substrate, wherein a centermoststop has the tallest height.

Paragraph R. The doorsill of Paragraph P, wherein the plurality of stopsare arranged in a plurality of groups, the plurality of groups beingspaced along the length of the substrate.

Paragraph S. A method of removing a sill deck from an entryway, theentryway comprising a threshold substrate having a top side and at leastone stop projecting upwardly from the top side, a sill deck disposedover the substrate and spaced therefrom by at least one leg, and a pairof side jambs, the side jambs having abutment portions that at leastpartially overlap the substrate and the sill deck, the methodcomprising:

pulling the sill deck in an exterior direction through a gap between thesubstrate and a bottom of the abutment portions; and

deforming the sill deck to allow the at least one leg to pass over theat least one stop.

Wide Doorsills

FIG. 9 shows a cross section of a doorsill 1102 having a substrate 1118and a sill deck 1120 according to another embodiment. The doorsill 1102of this second embodiment is substantially wider (in the Y-direction)than the doorsill 102 of the first embodiment (FIG. 8). A wide doorsillmay be considered as at least about 6 inches wide. In the wideembodiment, the sill deck 1120 may include an extension 1202 formedbeyond the clip 192 with respect to the exterior direction of theentryway 100.

Applicants have found that doorsills 1102 of a wide construction presentadditional challenges when seeking to provide removability for the silldeck 1120. The contact between the sill deck 1120 and the subfloor 116coupled with the sloped tread wall 1196 impacts the ability for the silldeck 1120 to be slide out in a purely Y-direction.

To facilitate removal of the wide sill deck 1120, one or more seams 1204may be provided in the tread wall 1196 that run along a length direction(X-direction) of the sill deck 1120. The extension 1202 may have one ormore seams 1204 along which the exterior of the sill deck may be bent orbroken to gain access to the clip 192. The tread wall 1196 may includeone or more additional seams 1204 positioned relatively interior of theclip 192.

Additional features may be included in the substrate 1118 to furtherfacilitate removal of the wide sill deck 1120. For example, the top sideof the substrate 1118 can have at least one relief region 1206 providingan area of increased margin between the top side of the substrate 1118and a bottom of the tread wall 1196 to assist with removal of the silldeck 1120 from the entryway 100. Described another way, the profile ofthe top side of the substrate 1118 may follow an imaginary downwardlysloped reference line R shown in FIG. 9. At least one portion of the topside forms a relief region 1206 with the top side temporarily dippingbelow the sloped reference line R to accommodate a support leg 198 asthe wide sill deck 1120 is removed from the substrate 1118. While FIG. 9shows the relief region 1206 as encompassing a gradual dip or scallop,the relief region can be other shapes such as troughs or cutouts, etc.During removal of the wide sill deck 1120, when a support leg 198 ispositioned to correspond with one of the relief regions 1206, as shownin FIG. 10, a user may be able to lift the exterior end of the sill deck1120 so the tread wall 1196 is more level with the subfloor 116 toassist with fitting the wide sill deck 1120 between the top side of thesubstrate 1118 and the bottom of the abutment portions 1190.

An entryway with a removable wide sill deck 1120, and a method ofremoving such a sill deck, as described by this section may be embodiedby the following paragraphs:

Paragraph T. An entryway, comprising:

a doorsill and a pair of side jambs, the side jambs having stop portionsthat extend over the ends of the doorsill, wherein the doorsillcomprises:

a substrate having a top side; and

a sill deck removably disposed on the substrate, the sill deck having atread wall and at least one support, the support spacing the tread wallfrom the top side of the substrate,

wherein the top side of the substrate has at least one relief regionproviding an area of increased margin between the top side of thesubstrate and a bottom of the tread wall to assist with removal of thesill deck from the entryway.

Paragraph U. The entryway of Paragraph T, wherein a profile of the topside of the substrate follows an imaginary downwardly sloped line andthe relief region is defined by a segments of the top side profile thatare below the sloped line to accommodate the support leg as the silldeck is removed from the substrate.

Paragraph V. A method of removing a sill deck from an entryway, theentryway comprising a threshold substrate having a top side, a sill deckdisposed over the substrate and spaced therefrom by at least onesupport, and a pair of side jambs, the side jambs having abutmentportions that at least partially overlap the substrate and the silldeck, the method comprising:

pulling the sill deck in an exterior direction through a gap between thesubstrate and a bottom of the abutment portions; and

lifting an exterior end of the sill deck as the at least one supportpass a relief scallop provided along the top side of the substrate.

Paragraph W. The method of Paragraph V, further comprising bending thesill desk along at least one seam running along a length direction ofthe sill deck.

Mullion Spacer

In certain embodiments, a mullion 106 (FIG. 1) may be provided as partof an entryway 100, either between two doors or between a door and asidelight. Turning to FIG. 11, in several of those embodiments, thebottom 208 of the mullion 106 will be sized to overlap portions of aninstalled sill deck 120, much in the same way as the abutment portionsof the side jambs overlap the sill deck. Similarly, a gap 209 willgenerally be provided between the bottom 208 of the mullion 106 and thetop side of the substrate 118 so that portions of the sill deck 120 maybe accommodated within the gap. In these embodiments, it is desired thatthe mullion 106 is attached to and supported by the doorsill 102,particularly the substrate 118. To provide both the desired support tothe bottom of the mullion 106 and the attachment to the substrate 118while maintaining the gap 209, a spacer 210 may be inserted between thesubstrate 118 and the bottom of the mullion 106. The spacer 210 mayinclude a top surface 212 supporting the bottom of the mullion 106, anda bottom surface 214 sitting on the top side of the substrate 118. Apost 216 may extend down from the bottom surface 214 to help couple thespacer 210 to the substrate 118. The top surface 212 of the mullionspacer 210 is smaller than the bottom of the mullion 106 so that thebottom surface of the mullion overlaps and hides a portion of the silldeck 120. The sill deck may include a notch (not shown) that is largerthan the spacer 210 so the sill deck 120 can surround the spacer 210 butwhere the notch is smaller than the bottom of the mullion 106 to behidden from view when the sill deck 120 is install.

Returning again to FIG. 6, the top side of the substrate 118 may includean attachment channel 220 formed in to the top side, and extending alongthe length direction of the substrate 118 near the upwardly open channel162. The attachment channel 220 is positioned to accept the post 216 ofthe spacer 210. The elongated nature of the attachment channel 220allows for placement of the spacer 210 along the substrate 118 in theproper location for supporting the mullion 106. The attachment channelmay have crush ribs 222 therein to create a friction fit with the atleast one post 216.

A doorsill and an entryway with a spacer 210 as described by thissection may be embodied by the following paragraphs:

Paragraph X. A doorsill comprising:

a substrate having at least one channel extending along a lengthdirection of the substrate;

a mullion spacer selectively positioned along the length of thesubstrate by at least one post extending from a bottom surface of themullion spacer into the channel; and

a sill deck disposed over the substrate, the sill deck shaped to atleast partially surround the mullion spacer.

Paragraph Y. The doorsill of Paragraph X, wherein the channel comprisescrush ribs to create a friction fit with the at least one post.

Paragraph Z. An entryway comprising:

the doorsill according to Paragraph V; and

a mullion extending up from the doorsill and supported upon the mullionspacer.

Paragraph AA.The entryway of Paragraph Z, a top surface of the mullionspacer is smaller than a bottom surface of the mullion such that thebottom surface of the mullion overlaps and hides a portion of the silldeck.

Although the above disclosure has been presented in the context ofexemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications andvariations may be utilized without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand.Such modifications and variations are considered to be within thepurview and scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

1. A doorsill, comprising: a substrate; a dam removably attached to thesubstrate to extend upwardly therefrom; and a sill deck removablyattached to the substrate and removably attached to the dam, wherein thedam has a vertical wall, and a lower portion of the vertical wallengages the substrate.
 2. The doorsill of claim 1, wherein the damfurther comprises: a first horizontal wall, wherein the first horizontalwall is substantially perpendicular to the vertical wall, and whereinthe first horizontal wall is configured to form a joint with the silldeck.
 3. The doorsill of claim 2, wherein the dam further comprises asecond horizontal wall, the second horizontal wall extending inwardlyfrom the vertical wall on a side of the vertical wall opposite the firsthorizontal wall, wherein the second horizontal wall extends from aposition along the vertical wall that is lower than the first horizontalwall, wherein the second vertical wall is configured to be disposedalong a top surface of the substrate.
 4. The doorsill of claim 1,wherein: a male portion is provided on one of the dam and the sill deck;a female portion is provided on the other of the dam and the sill deck;and a seal is disposed between the male portion and the female portion,wherein the male portion and the female portion are configured toprovide a detachable joint between the dam and the sill deck.
 5. Thedoorsill of claim 4, wherein the seal at least partially contacts an endof the male portion.
 6. The doorsill of claim 1, wherein the verticalwall is the only vertical wall of the dam.
 7. A doorsill, comprising: adam attached to a sill deck with a detachable connection such that thesill deck can be removed and replaced, wherein the detachable connectioncomprises: a male portion provided on one of the dam and the sill deck;a female portion provided on the other of the dam and the sill deck; anda seal is disposed between the male portion and the female portion. 8.The doorsill of claim 7, wherein the seal at least partially contacts anend of the male portion.
 9. The doorsill of claim 7, further comprisinga substrate, wherein the sill deck is removably attached to thesubstrate, and wherein the dam has a vertical wall, and a lower portionof the vertical wall engages the substrate.
 10. The doorsill of claim 9,wherein the dam further comprises: a first horizontal wall, wherein thefirst horizontal wall is substantially perpendicular to the verticalwall, and wherein the first horizontal wall is configured to for a jointwith the sill deck.
 11. The doorsill of claim 10, wherein the damfurther comprises a second horizontal wall, the second horizontal wallextending inwardly from the vertical wall on a side of the vertical wallopposite the first horizontal wall, wherein the second horizontal wallextends from a position along the vertical wall that is lower than thefirst horizontal wall, wherein the second horizontal wall is configuredto be disposed along a top surface of the substrate.
 12. The doorsill ofclaim 9, wherein the vertical wall is the only vertical wall of the dam.13. A dam for a door sill configured to be removably attached to asubstrate and removably attached to a sill deck, the dam consistingessentially of: a vertical wall; a first horizontal wall extending fromthe vertical wall; and a second horizontal wall extending from thevertical wall, wherein the first and second horizontal walls extend fromthe vertical wall in opposite directions, and wherein the vertical wallis configured to attach the dam to the substrate.
 14. The dam of claim13, wherein the vertical wall is the only vertical wall of the dam. 15.A doorsill, comprising: a substrate; a dam according to claim 13, thedam removably attached to the substrate; and a sill deck removablyattached to the substrate and the dam.
 16. The doorsill of claim 15,wherein, a detachable joint between the dam and the sill deck comprises:a male portion defined by the first horizontal wall; a female portion isprovided on the sill deck; and a seal is disposed between the maleportion and the female portion.
 17. The doorsill of claim 16, whereinthe seal at least partially contacts an end of the male portion.